About M28 Ministries...

I am unworthy—how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth. I spoke once, but I have no answer—twice, but I will say no more.

Job 40:4-5

I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted. You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge. Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things to wonderful for me to know….My ears have heard of you, but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.

Job 42:2, 3, 5, 6

Welcome to M28 Ministries!

We believe discipleship has become a frontier issue for the people of God at this time and history.  Most astute observers would agree the church, in sincerely seeking to appear relevant to the prevailing culture, has lost the art of disciple making.  Some have referred to it as the “great omission” calling out the church for its failure to fulfill its primary and basic commission.

The fact that discipleship is viewed with marginal interest today ought to disturb us profoundly. The Great Commission was not a suggestion.  Many less noble passions arouse far greater interest.

This is evidenced by a Barna survey done in North America where people were asked about the Great Commission.  Only nine percent of the respondents accurately defined the Great Commission and seventy-five percent of so called born-again believers could not even offer a definition.

Can something lost, be found?  Can something misplaced, be recovered?  Can something unfamiliar be rediscovered?

Instead of adding a postmortem and throwing dirt on the bride of Christ, M28 has committed to extend the understanding of discipleship in our conversation and practice.  In some respects, we hope to ReJesus discipleship.  What would this involve?  Model and teach the Jesus style of discipleship and point people back to the ancient but timeless ways Jesus taught us to live as followers.  Why do this?  To partner in the missional purposes of God and see real transformation take place in the lives of lost people, our culture, and the world.  

The Great Commission in Matthew 28 was more than a mandate for evangelism.  It was a call to live differently.  Everywhere Jesus went he sparked controversy. He was igniting a transformation of life. Sadly, the discipleship of many is not the discipleship Jesus taught.  For some churches, it is nothing more than learning a set of rules to perpetuate private clubs for those who have a leisure interest in spiritual matters and no interest in following Jesus.

The ancient text of Deuteronomy 6:5-6 challenged every adult person to wear their faith on their hearts, to impress it on their children, to talk about it when they sit at home and when they walk along the road, when they lie down and when they get up.  Discipleship is not just something the church or paid professionals do. It is a way of life and it is for all—moms and dads, children and youth, young and old.  

“Nothing new here!” some might say.  But we believe something lost can be recovered.

Our Story

Some things are birthed out of hardship. Other things are birthed out of a keen sense of God-given awareness that flashes in on us out of nowhere (or so it seems). When it is done, it burns inwardly leaving us burdened with a deeply impassioned heart and a helpless sense of wonder.

The ministry of M28 was inspired by the fusion of these ingredients.

When God clears out the debris of a cluttered heart, the eyes and ears are opened and one sees what has been lost, a treasure that has been misplaced and time that has been wasted.

One cannot recover lost time but one can find what was misplaced. And so we are recalibrating in light of Christ’s forgotten ways and God’s missional purposes.

M28 participants have a strong desire to see Matthew 28:19-20 (the Great Commission) fulfilled. We are eager to inspire a movement of disciple makers who make and multiply disciples, share in the transformation of lives and change the world through discipleship.

We are a missionally-minded ministry and eager to serve with likeminded believers willing to embrace the missional purpose of God and “go” into our God-given field of harvest to make fully devoted followers of Christ. Our commitment…

Risk more than others think is safe.

Care more than others think is wise.

Dream more than others think is practical.

Expect more than others think is possible.

We are a growing movement of ordinary people who are passionate about equipping the faithful to see the desperate find the good news of Christ’s transforming power.

We are committed to providing tools, training and resources to individuals, ministries, churches and organizations to assist them in making fully devoted followers of Jesus in their local context.

Mission

M28 will encourage and inspire disciple making and authentic relationships that lead to a movement of disciple makers eager to be the church and change the world by fulfilling the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) and the Cultural Commission (Matthew 5:13-16) in our local communities.

Vision

Encouraging life transformation in the lives of lost and desperate people.

Core Values

• Life transformation, not more information.

• Character change, not just conforming behavior.

• Entrust the faithful with the Gospel (2 Tim. 2:2).

• Disciple making is not complete until your disciple makes a disciple.

• Any faithful believer can do this. Why Not?

• Think Multiplication of Disciples, Not Just Addition

• Think Relationships, Not Conversions

• Think Going Instead of Staying, Attracting, Extracting

• Do Life Together

• Change the World Glocally

• Lower the Bar on How To Do Church and Raise the Bar on Discipleship

• Decentralize and Empower Whenever Possible

Goals

1. Teach Every Disciple Maker a Simple Transformation Tool for Discipling
2. Pray Daily for Lost and Desperate People
3. Pray Daily for Laborers To Be Sent into the Harvest (Luke 10:2)
4. Cultivate in Disciple Makers, “Eyes to See and Ears to Hear” the Desperation in the Human Heart
5. Do Not Fail to Be Faithful to Fulfill the Great Commission Everyday.
6. Increase Awareness for Missional Discipleship (click here for more info on Missional Discipleship)

What We Do (Functionality)

Teach a Simple Tool for Discipleship that is Contagious, Incarnational, Transforming and Universal.

Aid Followers in Deep Discipleship

Assist Individuals and the Local Church in Making Fully Devoted Followers of Jesus

Encourage Missional Discipleship

501©3

M28 is a nonprofit corporation under IRS code 501©3. We operate for exclusively charitable, religious and educational purposes. Any and all contributions are tax deductible.

M28 is governed by a board of directors that conducts regular meetings to attend the business and affairs of the Corporation.

We Believe

• We believe the Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible, authoritative Word of God.
• We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
• We believe in the deity and humanity of Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, in His present rule as Head of the Church and in His personal return in power and glory.
• We believe that for the salvation of lost and sinful men regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential.
• We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit, by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life.
• We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost, they that are saved unto the resurrection of life and they that are lost unto the barrenness of eternal separation from God.
• We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, with equality across racial, gender, and class differences.

Staff

Jim Schambach - This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Jim is a former 15 year veteran executive pastor of a megachurch.  He has committed himself to inspiring a movement of disciple makers among individuals, churches, ministries, and organizations.  He completed his doctoral work at Bethel Theological Seminary where he concentrated work in Spiritual Formation. He is married to Brenda who is is an extraodinary disciple maker.

Bill Wray - This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Bill is a gifted and accomplished musician performing locally with Nightwind and doing solo work.  He is owner of BillyWrayMusic in Mechanicsburg, PA.  He oversees disciple making in prison ministry and rehab centers locally.  

Kay Wray - This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Kay is a gifted teacher, disciple maker and leader of women.  She is committed to seeing women become fully devoted followers of Jesus.

Jesse Arnold | M28 Blog Administrator - This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Jesse is a gifted writer and artist with a passion to make disciples among people in the most difficult places on earth.  He travels to Africa and other places in missional discipleship.

Beth Foster - This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Beth is retired counselor and business owner who is devoting her life to organic discipleship, life and ministry. She is pioneering organic ministry in her townhouse community and adjacent trailer park. She is an avid blogger for m28 and is gearing up to do discipling via Skype.  Currently, she is discipling home schoolers and discipling women in transition.

Steve Forry - This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Steve completed educational requirements at PBU (Philadelphia Biblical University) and is a gifted Bible teacher. He is gearing up to come alongside various groups within m28 to provide Bible study and discipleship tools while seeking out the widowed, elderly and hospitalized in order to do life with them.